


Sunday Fathers and Uncles:  Traditions

by Ink_Gypsy



Series: Sunday Fathers and Uncles Universe [3]
Category: LOTR RPS (AU)
Genre: M/M, holiday fics, sunday fathers and uncles universe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-11-25
Updated: 2010-11-25
Packaged: 2017-10-13 09:17:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 772
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/135662
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ink_Gypsy/pseuds/Ink_Gypsy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>With his daughters spending Thanksgiving with their mother, Sean expects to be alone for the holiday, until he gets an unexpected invitation.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sunday Fathers and Uncles:  Traditions

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Thanksgiving 2010.

Sean hung up the phone, the sound of his youngest daughter Belle’s “Happy Turkey Day, Daddy!” still echoing in his ears. He knew this first Thanksgiving after the divorce would be difficult, but he didn’t expect to feel such emptiness at the thought of spending the day alone. Next year the girls would spend the holiday with him, and he still had his weekly Sundays with them, but sitting down with his family for Thanksgiving dinner, holding hands around the table and each sharing what they were thankful for, had always been a special time for him.

He had just taken a Hungry Man turkey dinner out of the freezer when the phone rang. “Hello?”

“Hi, Sean. Happy Thanksgiving!” came the cheerful voice on the other end of the line.

“Elijah.” Sean smiled as he pictured Elijah’s face, positive the younger man would be grinning. “Happy Thanksgiving to you.”

“Do you have the girls today?” Elijah asked.

“No, next year will be mine. They’re with Chris and her…” Thanking of his ex-wife’s new boyfriend sitting at the dining table surrounded by his daughters was too painful. “They’re with Chris today.”

“So do you have other Thanksgiving plans? Maybe having dinner with your folks?”

Another sore subject. “No. My parents haven’t been very accepting of the divorce, or my…”

Elijah stopped him from having to finish the sentence. “Then you’re free, great. I’d like you to join us for Thanksgiving dinner.”

“Us?”

“Yeah. Hannah, Aaron and I are having dinner at my Mom’s.”

“I wouldn’t want to intrude on your family holiday.” Elijah had said something similar when Sean had invited him and his nephew to join them on Father’s Day, and Elijah responded much as Sean had.

“You have to eat, Sean. If you can’t be with your own family, I’d love it if you’d have dinner with me and mine.

For months, Elijah and his young nephew had been joining Sean and his daughters on Sunday, so the idea of seeing the two of them without his daughters felt strange, and yet… Sean looked at the Hungry Man dinner he was holding in his hand and decided on the spot. “What can I bring to the feast?”

“Just you,” Elijah replied. “My Mom always makes enough food to feed an army. Dinner’s at two. I’ll text you the address.”

******

The woman who opened the door had long dark hair pulled back and pinned at the back of her neck. “You must be Sean. I’m Debbie. Welcome.”

“Thank you. It’s very kind of you to invite me.” Sean held out the bouquet of roses he’d picked up as a hostess gift. “I hope you like roses.”

“They’re lovely, Sean, thank you.” She stepped back. “Please come in. You’re just in time for dinner. Elijah, Hannah and Aaron are already at the table.”

“You made it!” Elijah exclaimed when Sean came into the dining room behind Debbie. He got up from the table and unselfconsciously caught Sean in a hug. “You already met my Mom. This is my sister Hannah.”

“Nice to meet you, Sean,” Hannah said with a smile. She was small and slight like her brother, but while his hair was dark, hers was blonde. “Elijah’s told us all about you and your daughters. I’m sorry they couldn’t join us today.”

“I’m sorry, too. It’s nice to meet you, Hannah.”

“Sean!” a small voice squealed, and Sean suddenly found Aaron clinging to his legs.

“And you remember this little monster,” Elijah said, scooping the boy up and depositing him back on the chair next to his mother.

Hannah laughed. “Seems like you’re a big hit with both the men in my life.”

When she saw Sean flush, Debbie said, “Don’t embarrass the man, Hannah. Please sit down, Sean.”

Sean took the seat between Elijah and Aaron. “You set a beautiful table, Mrs. Wood.”

“It’s Debbie, Sean, and thank you.”

“Yeah, everything looks great, Mom,” Elijah told her.

“Thanks, baby. You know how much I love cooking for my children. Let’s begin.” Sean unfolded his napkin and placed it on his lap. He was about to pick up his fork when Debbie continued, “Everybody join hands.” When Sean dropped his fork guiltily, she told him, “Sean, we have a tradition at Thanksgiving. We all join hands and then each family member says what they’re thankful for. I hope you don’t mind.”

Sean took Aaron’s hand in his left and Elijah’s in his right. Smiling at each person seated at the table, he turned to Elijah’s mother last and told her, “I don’t mind at all, Debbie. I think it’s a lovely tradition.”


End file.
